The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints for a clarifying medical opinion, including addressing a theory of presumptive service connection.
The deciding factor: The record does not provide sufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is related to his military service due to lack of specific environmental exposures and a clear nexus opinion within one year of discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21062645
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is entitled to an initial evaluation of 60 percent for the residuals of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Denied
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is not productive of more than a 40 percent evaluation, and his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.
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